Volume 56, Number 1 · January 15, 2009
The Iran Mystery Case
By Max Rodenbeck
BOOKS REFERRED TO IN THIS ARTICLE
Bitter Friends, Bosom Enemies: Iran, the US, and the Twisted Path to Confrontation
by Barbara Slavin
St. Martin's, 258 pp., $24.95
Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran, and the United States
by Trita Parsi
Yale University Press, 361 pp., $28.00; $17.00 (paper)
Ahmadinejad: The Secret History of Iran's Radical Leader
by Kasra Naji
University of California Press, 298 pp., $24.95
Reading Khamenei: The World View of Iran's Most Powerful Leader
by Karim Sadjadpour
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 35 pp., available at www.carnegieendowment.org
The Struggle for Iran
by Christopher de Bellaigue
New York Review Books, 230 pp., $22.95
The Ayatollah Begs to Differ: The Paradox of Modern Iran
by Hooman Majd
Doubleday, 272 pp., $24.95
Throughout the Bush years in Washington, the issue of what to do about Iran was often reduced to a question of whether or not to talk to the Iranian regime. Those who insisted on silence saw Iran starkly as a 'state sponsor of terrorism,' controlled by fanatics grimly bent on making atom bombs. Only the threat of force, they claimed, could persuade Iran to change its ways or, better yet, to change its nature as an Islamic republic. An opposing camp declared that America would be wiser to accept Iran as a regional power and to encourage pragmatic elements within its leadership. Their hope was to build trust through diplomacy so that Iran would not feel the need for a nuclear deterrent. The ideal outcome would be a Grand Bargain based on the common interest of forging a more secure Middle East.
Review, 5123 words
To read the full text of this piece, please choose one of the following options:
|
If you are already a subscriber to the Review's electronic edition, please sign in: |
To subscribe to the electronic edition, please press the button below. |
To purchase access to this article for $3, please press the button below. |